Battleships Remain Supreme

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 65, 18 March 1936, Page 5

Battleships Remain Supreme

As Chief Weapon at Sea

NAVY ESTIMATES BEFORE COMMONS (British Official Wireless). Received Tuesday. 7 p.m. RUGBY, Mar. 16. When opening tho Commons’ debate on the navy estimates amounting to £69,930,000, an increase of £9,880,000 over last year, Lord Stanley paid tribute to Earl Beatty. He explained that no provisions had been made in tho estimates for any additional expeuditure arising from the proposals for making good the deficiencies outlined in the Governments White Paper on defence, nor for the 1936 construction programme. These large items would have to be a subject of the supplementary estimates. The increase on the 1935 estimates was, as to £4,645,000, for the construction already authorised in the 1934 aud 1935 programmes. Provision was also being mado for larger requirements of ammunition mainly anti-aircraft, and a greater fuel supply for tho fleet. The air arm vote was being increased by £1,193,000 allowing for tho addition of 27 machines, three for carriers, 12 for battleships and. 12 for cruisers, bringing the total strength from 190 to 217, and for the replacement of S 4 new machines by new aircraft with full

reserves. After assuring the House that as a result of experiments, the danger to battleships from aerial bombardment _ would be provided against in the new construction and reconstruction; that counter- • attack by a ship’s anti-aircraft batteries had developed out of all knowledge; and that the Admiralty always would bo ready to increase its knowledge by new experiments, Lord Stanley said the conclusion was that battleships would not be made impotent by air attack and would remain supreme at sea, and that they remained essential for opposition. Mr A. Y. Alexander criticised the absenco of active or adequate consultation with other League States as to their respective contributions to collective security. Sir A. Sinclair doubted if greater efficiency and economy in the protection of trade routes could not be obtained by a readjustment of expenditure as between sea and air defence. Mr Winston Churchill declared that the first foundation of British naval policy was the acceptance of parity with United States. There could be no idea of naval rivalry between the two countries. It was fortunate that tho throe Powers which maintained regular battle fleets were situated at opposite corners of the globe from which attack upon each other was almost impossible. Singapore Base a Defence Precaution NOT OFFENSIVE TO JAPAN LONDON, March 16. Mr Winston Churchill, speaking in the House of Commons debate on the Navy Estimates, said that Singapore is about as far from Japan as Portsmouth is from New York. Singapore never had been and could not be an offensive base against Japan. It was a defensivo precaution for the British Empire, as well as a link or a steppingstone with Australia and New Zealand. He hoped the Government would proceed with the Singapore Base with all speed. Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes said it was impossible to operato the Fleet to the east of the Red Sea without a base at Singapore. “Singapore,” he said, “is the outlying base of our great Dominions in the East. The most money spent prior to the shutting down of the base by the Labour Government was provided by New Zealand, and quite a large sum by Malay and Hong Kong, showing that they realised the great need for the base." Safe From Submarine Attack LONDON, March 16. Speaking in the Commons Admiral Sir Dudley de Chair said he hoped he was not revealing a secret in saying that Britain possessed an almost foolproof anti-submarine device operating on a system of reflector ray, the effect of which was that no submarine could come within torpedo firing range of a ship without danger of instant destruction. The Admiralty had also constructed an anti-aircraft ship which was capable of a terrific volume of fire in defence of a harbour or other I ships. Admiralty Office Broken Into Received Tuesday, 10.55 p.m. LONDON, March 17. i Intruders catered the Admiralty during the week-end through the house of Viscount Monsell, First Lord of the Admiralty, which stands on the southeast corner of the building. They are reported to have ransacked the office in which are documents copied for circulation within the Admiralty,' but it is stated that nothing of importance was stolen. An inquiry is proceeding.